


Fighting for What's Right

by Leakenobia



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Bonding, Discipline, Hurt/Comfort, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Young Qui-Gon Jinn, new master Dooku
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 19:11:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19409596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leakenobia/pseuds/Leakenobia
Summary: Qui-Gon Jinn has been Master Dooku's apprentice for four months. When Padawan Jinn gets in trouble for fighting, the new Master must figure out how to tackle the situation.





	Fighting for What's Right

**Author's Note:**

> My headcanon is that Dooku wasn't trained by Yoda, but by my original character Master Kenau Sio.

Master Michael Yan Dooku had the day off and was crashing on the couch reading a book, enjoying the peace and silence. He had gotten used to the quiet of living alone, so the arrival of a young boy in his life four months ago, had suddenly made a difference. Not that the young Jedi had regretted his choice of taking an apprentice for a second. Especially when said apprentice made so few troubles. That is until … Dooku’s communicator made an annoyingly loud buzz. He made a frustrated sigh, picked up the thing from the table and decided to answer it, when he saw his Master’s name on the display.

“What do you want?” he spoke in his most cheeky voice.

But Master Kenau Sio’s voice was very formal, when he said: “Dooku, I would like you to come to my classroom, please.”

Dooku matched the formal tone of his Master: “Of course, Master. What’s this about?”

“I’m afraid Qui-Gon has gotten himself into a lot of trouble. When I entered the classroom he was engaged in a fist fight with Padawan Kallow.” Master Sio said.

“WHAT! Qui-Gon? My Qui-Gon?”.

Which was an extremely stupid question, since there was no one else in the Temple with the same name as his Padawan. Dooku’s former Master didn’t even bother to answer the question. Dooku got off the couch, still with the phone in his hand: “Is he alright?” he asked.

“He’s fine. For now.” Master Sio answered.

“I’m on my way,” Dooku said closing the door behind him.

* * *

As Master Dooku was walking towards his old Master’s classroom, he tried to recover from the surprise. Not that he didn’t believe his Master, but something didn’t feel right. Qui-Gon Jinn was a quiet boy and even though he had a very hard time, accepting orders he didn’t agree with (which in a few years would drive the Master crazy) he was very diplomatic towards others. And for his age his apprentice, was extremely in touch with the living force, which meant he had the greatest respect for any living being. His Padawan’s room was filled with plants of all kinds. And when he found himself pressed for space, he started filling up the living room. That is until Dooku tripped over one of them and declared in a very dramatic voice, that any plant found outside his Padawan’s room would be thrown from the balcony. Which only led to his apprentice starting to smuggle plants into the living room, hiding them behind the couch and the chairs. Dooku ignored this, satisfied with the living room not looking like a jungle anymore. With all these thoughts passing through his head, he finally found the right classroom.

When he entered he saw his Master standing with his arms crossed, staring at the two boys sitting in the chairs in front of him. No one made a sound! His apprentice had of course noticed his Master’s arrival, but kept his eyes on the floor. Dooku walked towards his apprentice, until he stood right in front of him: “Qui-Gon, are you hurt?”

When his Padawan didn’t answer, his Master simply made a quick scan and concluded that Qui-Gon only had a few minor injuries, including a split eyebrow. Master Dooku couldn’t help noticing the boy next to Qui-Gon had two red marks on his face, which were bound to leave black marks the next day.

Before Dooku could start questioning his young apprentice, Padawan Kallow’s Master entered the room. The Master was tall, dark skinned and made Kallow look like he wished the floor would shallow him up. Master Smitha looked up at Master Sio and said: “I understand my Padawan has been involved in a fight.”

“Yes, I’m afraid he has.” Master Sio answered.

Master Smitha continued, without looking at his apprentice: “Anything I should know, he can’t tell me himself?”

“I can’t think of anything” Master Sio said.

Then Master Smitha simply reached down, grabbed his apprentice by his braid, hauling him to his feet, made a polite bow to the two other Masters, turned on his heel and dragged his Padawan out of the classroom. This left Qui-Gon alone with the two Masters.

The boy was all but paralyzed and didn’t move from his chair. Dooku regarded his apprentice for a minute then he asked: “Qui-Gon, what happened?”

When the boy didn’t answer Master Dooku felt a frustration build inside of him. And at the same time, he felt his own Master’s gaze burning into his back. It actually surprised him that Master Sio hadn’t interfered yet. But the surprise didn’t last long. His Master said in a very firm voice: “Don’t tell me you’re going to let him get away with this. He was in a fight and since he won’t defend himself, he probably hasn’t got anything to say for himself!”

Dooku turned to his former Master. He was already frustrated and he tried to hold it in, but he felt his Master provoked this feeling. He took his eyes off his apprentice and turned to face his Master: “If you don’t mind Master, I would very much prefer to bring my Padawan back to our quarters.”

Even though he looked a little surprised, Master Sio gave a small nod. “If you prefer to handle it that way.”

“I do” Dooku answered in a very polite voice.

Master Sio nodded once more, dismissing them. Dooku grabbed Qui-Gon's arm, while saying: “Let’s go!”

They had almost left the room, when Master Sio said: “Qui-Gon, if I ever catch you fighting in my classroom again, I will throw you across my knee. Do you understand?” Qui-Gon blushed at the warning and nodded.

Then Dooku pushed him out off the classroom.

* * *

Back at their apartment, Dooku dragged Qui-Gon to the couch and threw him on it. He then paced the floor in front of his apprentice, saying: “I demand an explanation, and I demand it now!”

Qui-Gon just stared at the floor. That’s when Dooku lost his patience. Lifting his hand he struck his apprentice across the face. Very hard. Then Qui-Gon finally looked up. Good! That seemed to get his attention. But when Dooku saw the look in Qui-Gon’s eyes and the tears running down his cheeks, he almost regretted his action. But he reminded himself that he was the Master and his apprentice was honor bound to obey him, it was his job to raise the boy and discipline him when he made mistakes, this was for his own good and ….

Then Dooku felt all these thoughts fade away, when he looked at the boy for the second time. He just couldn’t help taking pity on his young boy. He lowered himself to his knees in front of the boy and gently grabbed his chin. Looking Qui-Gon straight in the eye he said: “Padawan, tell me what happened?”

That’s when Qui-Gon started sobbing openly. The Master wasn’t sure how to react to this, as he had never comforted a child before. So he simply stayed on his knees and waited for his Padawan to stop crying. That’s when Qui-Gon did something that caught the Master completely by surprise. In a blink of an eye, Qui-Gon leaned forward and hugged his Master, hands tight around his waist while he kept crying. Dooku all but panicked. But he decided to pull himself together. As he had expected there was obviously more to the matter than the fight. The Master actually surprised himself, when he hugged the boy back.

After a few minutes the Padawan let go of his Master’s waist and lifted his eyes to Dooku’s face and almost whispered: “He was going to hurt him ….. Kallow was going to hurt him …” Dooku was confused.

“Who was he going to hurt?”

“The bird!” Qui-Gon said.

Dooku started to get a headache and while rubbing his temples he said: “Okay, Padawan calm down. I want you to tell me the whole story, by actually using more than a few words a sentence.”

Qui-Gon swallowed and cleared his throat: “A bird flew into the classroom from the window and Kallow just grabbed it in the air. It was a lownie bird, the one with a yellow spot on the beak and ….”

“I get it.” Dooku answered and waited for his apprentice to continue.

“He wanted to crush it.”

“He WHAT?” Dooku was shocked and made a mental note to talk to Kallow’s Master.

“I told him to put it down. But he just kept it in his hand and continued to squeeze it. I had to do something, so I tripped him over, so the bird got away and flew back out the window. I tried to back down from the fight, but that’s when Kallow jumped at me, and ….. That’s when Master Sio arrived” Qui-Gon said.

Dooku took a deep breath, letting the information sink in. Now it finally made some kind of sense.

A few minutes passed. Then Qui-Gon started crying again. He looked up at his Master and asked with tears running down his cheeks: “Are you going to punish me?”

Dooku hadn’t even thought that far ahead.

“I’ll think about it” which actually meant I have no idea how to handle this.

Dooku reached down and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Why don’t you go to your room.”

“Yes Master” Qui-Gon answered.

He got up from the couch, wiped the tears from his face and went quietly into his room and closed his door. That left the young Master alone in the living room. He almost collapsed on the couch, trying to make sense of the situation. That’s how he spent the rest of the day.

Later, when he went to get his apprentice for dinner, he found the boy fast asleep. The Master decided not to wake him up.

* * *

The next morning Master Dooku got up, made breakfast and then knocked on Qui-Gon’s door. “Qui-Gon, wake up. Breakfast is ready.”

After a few minutes the boy appeared, still in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes. Dooku couldn’t help but smile. “Sit down and eat”

Qui-Gon sat down and filled his plate. He started eating, keeping his eyes on his food. Dooku took a deep breath and spoke: “Padawan, look at me”

Qui-Gon lifted his gaze and looked at his Master.

“Fighting is unacceptable and you know this.” Qui-Gon nodded. His Master surprised him by continuing: “I understand why you did this … and even though you fighting is still a problem, I think the reason behind this might excuse you a little.” Qui-Gon just stared at his Master. He had not expected this!

“For the next fourteen days, you are grounded and you will complete every task at home, I can think of”.

When Master Dooku said the next sentence he could actually hear his own Master’s voice in his head: “But you need to understand this is your first and final warning!”

Qui-Gon nodded vigorously saying: “Yes Master, I understand completely.” “Good” Dooku answered. “Now, finish your breakfast.”

Qui-Gon couldn’t help smiling while finishing his food.


End file.
